Jalousie
by TeresaJane
Summary: Lisbon gets a boyfriend... and it's not Jane. Odd, yes? Especially for me!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: No, I'm not from France (for those of you who are, you rock!). I just thought "Jealousy" was too simple, so I translated it (correctly, I hope!). French is such a beautiful language... Anyhoo, I've had this one for a long time, rediscovered it two days ago, added to it, and tada! new fic. It's quite cliche, I know (don't kill me!), and I really don't know how I feel about it. But, hey, _you_ guys are the people reading it, so if _you_ don't like it, I won't continue it. I have a lot on my plate already. (For now, I'm going to put the genre as Romance and the characters as Teresa L. and Patrick J. I'm also leaving it as In-Progress. But I can change that if I have to.)**

**Disclaimer: If I could own The Mentalist, I would. But, alas, I am but a poor farmer's daughter with a kitten and calf both named Jello, a cockatiel named Patrick, and a mutt whose name surprisingly has nothing to do with The Mentalist (his name's Jackson).**

**Warnings: Fluff (but not Jello fluff) and language (only once! and it's not even that bad! I'm so proud!)**

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"Why are you so happy?"

Lisbon stopped smiling. "What, I can't be happy? Make up your damned mind."

"I was just wondering why, that's all." Jane pouted. "And now I've ruined it."

"No, you didn't. I'm going to be 'happy' for a long time. I hope."

Jane looked at her, obviously confused. Lisbon smirked, loving the fact that he didn't know something for once. Especially since it was about her, who apparently was "translucent." She went back to the file she was reviewing.

"Lisbon, you can't leave me hanging," Jane said, walking behind her desk. "Tell me why you're so un-Lisbon-like today."

She glared at him. "It's none of your business."

"Please?"

"No, Jane."

"C'mon—"

"I said, 'no.'"

"Lizzzzbonnnn," Jane whined.

"Jaaaaannnne," Lisbon mocked. "Leave me alone. You're actually managing to kill my happiness."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are. Now leave."

Jane huffed. "Fine." He trudged out the door.

Lisbon smiled again, congratulating herself for not giving into Jane's charms. She tried to focus on the file, but found herself daydreaming about the reason she was so cheerful. Jane had a point: she hadn't been like this in so long… She could barely remember how it happened... and suddenly, it all came back to her.

_They had just gotten a case: the body of a little boy had been found in the trunk of a car. He looked so much like her brother, Tommy, when he was younger. As usual, when a case affected her so deeply, she became quiet and withdrawn, but more focused on her work. Of course, Jane noticed her mood, and asked her about it. Of course, she lied and said nothing was wrong. He didn't seem convinced, but, for once, didn't say anything more about it._

_She had gone to the club to get her mind off of... well, everything. She hadn't really dressed up or anything, just jeans and a nice shirt, but that night the men had been practically swarming around her. Only one had caught her eye: James, tall and dark-haired, with warm brown eyes and what seemed to be a permanent smile._

_They'd started talking, and found out they had a lot in common. James had offered to drive her home, and she'd accepted. When they got to her apartment, he walked her to the door, said, "Goodnight," and kissed her cheek. Surprising James and herself, she kissed him on the mouth, said, "Call me," and went inside. He had really helped heighten her mood tonight, and she was grateful. She really liked James, and hoped that he liked her, too._

_Apparently, he did, because he called the next night. And the next. And the one after that. They were now officially dating. When she had a bad day at work, James comforted her. And of course, he knew all about Jane, because he was usually the one to ruin her day. James didn't like him as just as much as Lisbon didn't. Another thing they had in common._

Lisbon smiled at the thought of James and Jane meeting. That would be very amusing, to see Jane being one-upped by James. She wondered if Jane would be jealous at all, that he wasn't getting all the attention for once. It could be good for his over-inflated ego.

"Jane," she said loudly, knowing he would hear her.

"You called?" he said, walking into her office, grinning.

"Do you really want to know why I'm in a good mood?"

"Of course I do."

"Come to my apartment tonight at six-thirty. Then you'll know."

Jane looked confused, but only for a moment. "I'll be there."

"Good. You can go."

"As you wish, Queen Lisbon." Jane bowed gracefully, then left.

Lisbon smiled again. He was in for a huge surprise.

* * *

"Maybe he won't come," Lisbon said, looking at the clock. It was six-twenty-five, and Jane still wasn't there. Though it would be just like him to show up at precisely six-thirty.

"If he's exactly the way you describe him, he'll be here," James said, walking up beside her and putting his arm around her. She smiled up at him, and he leaned down and kissed her softly. "I feel so bad for you," he murmured.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"One," he said, turning her so that their bodies were facing each other, "you have to put up with me—"

Lisbon smacked his chest, giggling. She never did that, at least not around Jane (unless he was in pain). James had changed her in the short time that they had known each other.

"—and Two, you have to put up with him _all day_."

Lisbon waved it off. "I've been dealing with him for years," she said. "But I'd rather spend my time with you."

"Thank you, milady," James said, bowing. Lisbon giggled again. The bowing thing was much more charming when James did it.

James straightened up. "Hey, I have an idea," he said. "Why don't we try and make him jealous?"

"How?"

"Pretend to forget he's there and, oh, I don't know, start making out?" He looked at her hopefully.

"I think you just want to make out with me," Lisbon mock accused, smirking.

"I'm caught. But I still think we should. It could be fun."

"No," she said, "it _will_ be fun." She smiled suggestively. "We should practice," she murmured.

"Yes, we should," James said, kissing her hungrily. Lisbon sighed; _this_ was something she'd been missing out on.

A car horn from outside interrupted them. James growled and looked at the clock. "Six-thirty," he grumbled. "Exactly."

"Of course," Lisbon muttered. "I'll get the door. Be nice to him, if you can. I completely understand if you find that impossible." Plastering a fake smile on her face, she opened the door. "Hi, Jane," she said, pretending to be overjoyed at his presence in her doorway. "Come inside."

"So?" he said immediately. "Where's—"

James stepped out from behind the door. "Hey," he said, offering his hand. "I'm James Hawthorne, Teresa's boyfriend."

Lisbon wished she had a camera. The look on Jane's face as he shook hands with James was almost too good to be true. Jane glanced at her, and she smiled innocently. But when she saw James's expression, her smiled disappeared. He didn't look as happy as she'd thought he would. Was _he_ jealous? Wait, why would he be?

Oh, right. He was a man, and being jealous was the thing they did best. Lisbon sighed inwardly: this was going to be a long night.

* * *

"So you two haven't been together that long," Jane commented. Lisbon had just told him how she had met James.

"No, we haven't," James said, putting his arm around her.

Lisbon smiled at him. "But it feels like we've known each other for much longer than we actually have," she finished.

"I see," Jane deadpanned, focusing on James. Lisbon was nearly choking on the machismo emanating from him.

"I hope that this lasts for a long time," James said, looking at her fondly.

"Me, too," Lisbon murmured, returning his gaze and kissing him softly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jane blink. His eyes were void of emotion.

He was _so_ jealous.

"Well, I'm happy for you two," he said, getting up from the chair he had been sitting in. "I'm sorry, Lisbon, but I have to go."

"So soon?" she asked, standing up from the sofa and pulling James up with her.

"I'm afraid so. It was nice meeting you, James."

"Same here." James smiled.

Jane looked directly into Lisbon's eyes as he said, "Take care of her."

"I will."

"Good. I'll see you at work tomorrow, Lisbon." For the first time that night, Jane smiled.

Lisbon nodded. "Bye, Jane. Thanks for coming over." _And actually doing something I told you to for once,_ she thought.

"You're welcome." With one last wary glance at James, he left.

"Thank God," James groaned. "He's finally gone. Did you see how jealous he was?"

"Yeah," Lisbon said slowly, "but I didn't expect him to be _that_ jealous."

"Hey, I've got it," James said, leading her back to the sofa. "Maybe he likes you."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, maybe he has a thing for you." James shrugged.

"I highly doubt that," Lisbon said, laughing. "He was just jealous because he wasn't getting all the attention for once, that's all."

James raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?" he asked dubiously, sitting on the sofa and patting the space next to him.

"Yes, I'm sure," Lisbon said, curling up beside him and laying her head on his shoulder. "I'm just glad he didn't ask if we were sleeping together," she muttered.

"Why?" James laughed. "What would you have said?"

Lisbon blushed. "I wouldn't have lied; I'd have said, 'Yes.' But first I would have told him it was none of his business. It isn't! Just because he doesn't have a sex life doesn't mean he has to butt into mine!"

"Hey, hey," James cooed. "It's fine. You're right: he needs to leave things that aren't meant for him to know alone. Unfortunately, that will probably never happen."

"How's that supposed to make me feel better?" Lisbon asked angrily.

"I just want you to know that we're on the same page," he soothed. "We both wish he would change, but know our wish won't come true. I understand completely."

"And that is why I love you," Lisbon murmured, kissing him. James was right; Jane would never change, not for anyone, even her. No matter how much she wanted him to, he wouldn't do it. It was virtually impossible for a person to change who they were.

But Lisbon could still wish. And hope. And try to force Jane to be someone he wasn't. But she (and James) knew that her efforts were all in vain.

Not that was going to stop her from trying.

* * *

**A/N: Tell me what you think: yay or nay? Tell the truth, I won't be insulted, I promise. (Didya notice how James and Jane sorta kinda rhyme? I did that on purpose. :))**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey hey hey! G-R-E-A-T reviews for this one, guys! Thanks so much to Lisbon94, Simonisthecuttestmentalist, and Tinuviel Rose! *blows kisses* You rock! Okay, last time, it was basically all from Lisbon's POV, so now it's from Jane's. I may even write one from James' (is that how you spell it?) POV… Anyway, here we go!**

**Disclaimer: Can't you just go read the last one instead of shrinking my self-esteem by making me say it again?**

**Warnings: Language and more non-Jello fluff. (It just hurt me physically to type that.)**

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Jane walked back to his car calmly, just in case Lisbon or _James_ was watching from the window. He doubted they were; they were probably getting closer to the bedroom with every step he took. Revolting. _He_ was utterly revolting. Jane slid into the driver's seat and sped off, wanting to get as far away from _him_ as possible.

Dammit! Why did Lisbon have to love _him_ so much? Jane could tell there was something _he_ was hiding from her, and he couldn't tell her because she'd get angry. But he didn't want her to find out later: he wouldn't be able to bear it.

Jane felt like screaming. Exactly how did Lisbon think he was going to handle this? That he would waltz right in and he and James would be best friends? Not a chance.

And he _was_ jealous. Insanely jealous, because even though he got to spend more time with Lisbon, James was the one whose company to which she _really_ looked forward. It just wasn't fair! Jane felt something hit his arm and looked down, cursing when he saw what it was.

He was crying. Was he really going to cry over Lisbon? She was contented for the first time in a long time. Why couldn't he be happy for her?

The answer came to him immediately: He wouldn't be satisfied unless it was he who made her feel that way.

James may have said that he would take care of her, but Jane didn't believe him at all. He was going to prove that _he_ wasn't telling Lisbon something, and he was going to do it before Lisbon got in too deep.

Little did he know, he was already too late.

In the morning, before Jane went to CBI, he stopped at a local café. He thought that if he brought her enough coffee, Lisbon would actually listen to his views on she and James' relationship. Risky, he knew, but it was worth a shot.

As he waited in line, he heard the bell above the door chime and looked back instinctively. He did a double take. Of all the people who could have walked into that exact café at that exact moment, it had to be James Hawthorne. James didn't get in line for coffee, though. He looked around, saw someone, and hurried to sit by them. Jane's wide eyes followed him as he took a seat beside a blonde woman and started talking to her. They obviously knew each other. Were they business partners? Friends?

Or something else?

Jane soon found out precisely what they were, because James put his hand on the blonde's waist and kissed her fervently. Jane's heart plummeted, but he knew this was the perfect opportunity to show Lisbon that he was right. Quickly, he found his cell phone and took a picture, making sure Lisbon would be able to tell that it was indeed James who was cheating on her. Jane moved out of the line and headed for the door. He couldn't let James see him.

He slipped outside and walked casually to his car, getting in and driving to the next block before contemplating what to do with his evidence. Should he send the picture to Lisbon, or show her in person? Jane wasn't really in the mood to have his face ripped off, but he knew he should be there when she saw it. He hoped she didn't take it too hard.

"Where's Lisbon?" Jane asked, walking into the bullpen.

"In her office," Rigsby answered stiffly, as if he was trying not to laugh.

Van Pelt glared at him and said, "James is with her."

Jane's jaw hit the ground. _How was that possible?_

"You look surprised," Van Pelt commented.

Jane blinked. "I just saw him at a café," he said. "I left before him and came straight here."

"Have you seen James' car?" Rigsby asked. "Black Porsche, next year's model."

"And then there's _your_ car," Van Pelt said.

Jane noticed that Cho had remained silent. "What's up with Cho?" he asked quietly.

"I don't think he likes James," the red-haired agent replied.

Jane grinned. He had another person on his side, a person Lisbon trusted. He could—

Rigsby whistled. "The blinds in her office just closed. Bet she locked her door, too."

"Stop it," Van Pelt said, disgusted. "Let's just leave them alone."

"What, did you think I was gonna go and watch?" Rigsby teased.

Van Pelt blushed. "Of course not."

Jane wasn't listening anymore. He was walking towards Lisbon's office door.

"Jane?" Van Pelt called.

"I guess _he_ wants to watch," Rigsby said, earning him a smack from Van Pelt.

But Jane certainly didn't want to "watch." He wanted to make sure there was _nothing_ to watch. Finding the piece of wire he kept in his pocket for exactly these situations, he picked the lock on the door and opened it slowly.

He really wished he hadn't.

Lisbon was sitting on the front of her desk with her legs wrapped around James' waist. James had his hands on her hips. They were kissing, moaning and sighing simultaneously. Jane was surprised they still had their clothes on. Well, they were mostly dressed: Lisbon's shirt was on the floor.

So much for her not being in too deep.

James moved his lips to her throat, then her collarbone, and Lisbon rested her chin on his shoulder, her eyes half-closed in bliss.

Then she saw Jane, and her eyes flew fully open. "Jane!" she squeaked, trying to cover herself. James handed her shirt to her, blocking Jane's view of her as she put it on. It didn't matter. Jane had seen more than enough.

"What the hell?" James demanded. "Couldn't you tell the door was locked?"

Jane didn't answer him. "I'm sorry, Lisbon. I'll just go." He turned to leave.

"No," she said, getting off her desk awkwardly. "What did you need?"

"Just to talk to you." Jane couldn't get the image of her shirtless out of his head. "But it's not important."

"Jane, it's fine. We can talk." She looked at James apologetically. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay." James kissed her lightly. "I'll see you at home. Love you."

"Love you."

He left, and Lisbon went behind her desk and sat down in her chair. "I'm sorry, Jane," she said. "I really am."

"So am I." Jane closed the door and went to stand beside her. "Rigsby was getting very interested in what you were doing, so I wanted to show him."

She blushed again. "Well, I hope Rigsby is satisfied."

He grinned weakly, and she noticed. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Lisbon, I need to show you something." Jane pulled out his phone and found the picture, but didn't show her yet. "Please, you have to promise not to be angry and attack me or something."

Lisbon raised an eyebrow, but said, "I promise."

He hesitated for a moment, then gave her the phone, stepping back just in case.

She studied the picture silently, handing the phone back to him without a word.

"Lisbon—"

"I know you don't like James," she said finally, "but that really wasn't necessary."

"What are you talking about?"

"Whatever _that_," she gestured to the phone, "is, delete it. I don't know where you got it, or how you got it, but I never want to see it again."

"Lisbon," Jane said gently, "I'm not doing this on purpose. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"You honestly want me to think he's cheating on me?"

"I only want you to believe what you just saw," Jane said helplessly. "_I know_ he's cheating on you, and I didn't want to tell you, but I didn't want you to find out later when you loved him more than ever. It would kill you."

"It's killing me right now." When Lisbon looked at him, there were tears in her eyes. "Don't you want me to be happy, Jane?"

"Of course I do."

"Then leave me and James alone."

Jane knew it wasn't wise for him to go on, but he had to make her believe him. "I'm only trying to help," he said quietly.

"I don't want you to help!" she yelled. "I don't need your help! I don't need _any_ help! _Just leave me alone!_"

This was his last chance. "Lisbon, you have to believe me. I saw this," he pointed at the phone's screen, "happen. I wouldn't be here still if I weren't telling the truth. Please, Lisbon…"

"Get out. Now." She didn't look at him.

He'd failed. She was hurt, but Jane was even more so. _She didn't trust him. _She probably never would now. Whatever kind of relationship they'd had, it was in ruins, and couldn't be repaired. And for once, it wasn't Jane's fault.

He walked to the door, stopping when his hand touched the doorknob. "I really am sorry," he said.

"Get out," Lisbon repeated. Then she said the words that Jane had never seen coming. "Don't come back." The tone of her voice made it perfectly clear that she didn't want to see him again.

"You'll have my resignation on your desk tomorrow," he answered simply.

"Thank you."

Jane had one last thing to do before he left CBI permanently. He walked back to Lisbon's desk and stood beside her chair.

Still not meeting his eyes, she asked, "Why are you still here?" but Jane didn't answer her. Instead, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek gently. He felt her stiffen, then relax.

"Goodbye," he murmured. Then he straightened, walked to the door, and opened it. Before he left, he said, "Be careful." Then he was making his way past the bullpen, ignoring the questions directed at him. He got to the parking lot and headed for his car. Getting in, he turned it on, revved the engine, pulled out, and set out for Malibu.

Not once did he look back. He didn't have to; he knew Lisbon was watching him drive away for good. She had made the choice, and they were both going to have to live with it. Jane hoped she was happy with James for however long their relationship lasted, and that when it ended, Lisbon would realize that she'd made a mistake.

He was just going to have to wait until that happened.

When Jane finally fell asleep that night, a new dream came to him. It didn't involve Red John, and no one died, but it was just as terrible a nightmare as the others he'd had.

Lisbon was in a wedding gown, being escorted toward the altar by an older man, probably the groom's father. She was beautiful: her hair curled, her makeup highlighting her green eyes, the strapless dress fitting her perfectly. But the most dominant feature of her was her expression of pure joy. She practically ran to James, the obvious groom.

As was the way of dreams, the ceremony went by quickly, as if in fast-forward. But time seemed to slow down when the priest said, "You may kiss your bride." James smiled triumphantly and pressed his mouth to Lisbon's. Jane wished the nightmare would end there, but it was nowhere near finished.

Instead, it fast-forwarded to the high point of the bride and groom's evening. Jane couldn't seem to wake up, as if something was going to happen that he had to see.

And then something did. Suddenly, he was viewing the dream through Lisbon's eyes, something he thought he could have gone without. She was reveling in the feel of James' mouth against her skin when, all of a sudden, _his_ face—_Jane's_ face—appeared in her mind.

Then he was awake, shivering, silent tears streaming down his face, finally coming to grips with something he hadn't been able to admit to himself before: He loved Teresa Lisbon.

Then Jane remembered that she never wanted to see him again. That sent fresh tears coursing down his cheeks. His next thought made him start to cry aloud.

_He would never get the chance to tell her how he felt._

_

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_

**A/N: Alrighty, guys, review please! Yes, I was depressed when I wrote this, if you were wondering. Please be patient with me, as I have to use my relatives' computers because I have no Internet at my house. I will get everything up as soon as I can.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Good Lord, this is getting way out of hand! I never meant it to turn out like this! IT'S A MONSTER! RAAAHH!**

***clears throat* Very sorry, I apologize. But the above comment is true. I've just been a little down lately and my fics show my mood... so yeah, if it's not what you expected, join the club!**

**Disclaimer: ** **I own nothing! I don't even own anything in my own house! In my house, if you don't claim what's yours, it ain't! Just a warning...**

**More warnings: OOC and language**

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Over the next three months, Jane avoided leaving the house. He would only go outside if necessary. He had nothing to do, now that he didn't have a job.

Hanging over his head constantly was the knowledge that the woman he loved hated him. He didn't hear from anyone at CBI, and he was fine with that. What could he possibly say? The only person he longed to talk to was Lisbon, but she wasn't about to call him or show up on his doorstep.

Even though Jane loved her, he was angry with her. She had had no right to fire him. He had only been trying to help her, to protect her from what she couldn't see. With each day that passed, he grew angrier and lonelier.

Then he got the wedding invitation. It was less than four weeks away. They had only dated for a short time, and Jane was willing to bet that _he_ had proposed to Lisbon the same day that she'd told him she never wanted to see him again. She'd obviously changed her mind: the decorative card Jane held in his hand proved it.

That didn't mean that he was going to her wedding. He knew he should, but he didn't trust himself… or James. Rereading the invitation, Jane saw an arrow written in pen, telling him to turn it over. When he did, he was greeted by familiar handwriting that read:

_I'm sorry. For everything. If you come to the wedding, we can talk. And I need you to come, because I need someone to walk me down the aisle, and I want it to be you. Even if you don't forgive me, at least do this, and then we can move on. _

_Please, Patrick. I miss you._

Lisbon had apologized. That was all well and good, but was it just so that he would attend the wedding? She wanted him to walk her down the aisle, too. Did she really think he would be able to do that?

She missed him, too, and he missed her.

Suddenly Jane's mind was made up. He was going to the wedding. He was going to give Lisbon away to a man he knew would break her heart. He was going to sacrifice his happiness for hers.

He was also going to tell her that he loved her.

Jane drove up slowly to the little church where the wedding was taking place. He could see James, surrounded by laughing men in tuxedos. Looking around, he saw Lisbon being fussed over by her obvious maid-of-honor, Van Pelt, while the other bridesmaids stood away from her, talking to each other. They were clearly not interested in her at all; they were probably some of James' "friends."

Jane wasn't the only one walking Lisbon down the aisle: Rigsby and Cho were, too, a fact that Jane was sure didn't please James. That was good.

He parked along the curb on the next block and got out of the car, walking towards the church. He had been hoping to approach unnoticed and surprise her, but Lisbon saw him. James did, too, grimacing and turning his attention back to his groomsmen.

Lisbon's face lit up, and she started pushing through the crowd. When she had broken free, she ran full-speed at Jane, jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"I missed you," she murmured.

Jane didn't answer her. He put his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. _Oh, God, I missed you, too,_ he thought.

An older woman standing outside the church whispered to her husband, "Wait, _they're _not the ones getting married, are they?"

"No, dear." He patted her hand.

"Oh."

"Teresa!" James called. "It's time!"

"Are you ready?" she asked Jane.

_Not at all._ "Yes." Together they walked to the church. People were filing inside slowly.

Van Pelt nodded. "Hi, Jane."

"Hello." He smiled.

She walked up to Lisbon and whispered something in her ear.

"Oh," Lisbon said. She turned to Jane. "I guess you're the only one giving me away."

Jane winced inwardly. "Why?"

"Cho and Rigsby decided it."

Jane looked around and saw them, nodding at them and mouthing, "Thank you." Rigsby smiled at him, but Cho simply blinked in acknowledgement. Well, what could Jane expect from him right now? They were both equally upset about the whole thing, though for different reasons.

"Okay." He moved aside as the other bridesmaids brushed past him and walked into the church, each of them looking him up and down.

"Looks like you have some new friends," Lisbon said, raising an eyebrow.

_They're not you. _He looped his left arm through her right one. "Shall we?"

Lisbon beamed at him as the wedding march started to play. Then they began the longest walk Jane had ever taken.

_I can't do this, I can't do this._ The thought ran repeatedly through his head. The urge to run was nearly overpowering. But he didn't. If this was what would make her happy, so be it. They reached the altar, and Jane pulled his arm away.

Lisbon stretched and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

_I love you._ "You're welcome."

This time, her smile didn't reach her eyes. She took James' outstretched hand and walked away from Jane. He sat in the first pew, which probably wasn't the best idea considering he would have a front-row view of the kiss. He was just going to have to suffer through it.

Jane tuned out most of the ceremony, retreating into his thoughts. They were so jumbled that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't decipher most of them, and didn't really have the strength to try. Faintly, he heard the words, "own vows," and snapped back to reality. James was speaking, saying how much he loved her and that he would always be faithful. Jane restrained himself—barely—from jumping to his feet and yelling, "Liar!" James ended his vows with the words, "With this ring, I thee wed," and slipped a ring on Lisbon's finger.

Then she began to recite her vows. "I will love you with my whole heart always. I will forever be faithful to you and you alone. I trust you completely, and I hope that we will be able to share everything with each other. What is mine is yours." She took the ring from the ring bearer and slipped it on James' finger with the words, "With this ring, I pledge never to cease loving you."

Jane felt the tears coming and forced them back. He would _not_ cry.

"I now pronounce you," the priest said, "husband and wife." He smiled at James. "You may kiss your bride."

James flashed a victorious smile directly at Jane, took Lisbon's face in his hands, and kissed her.

_That should have been my kiss,_ Jane thought bitterly. He didn't applaud and cheer with everyone else as the newlyweds made their way out of the church. He was still fighting tears as he stood and left. People were swarmed around Lisbon and James, congratulating them. Against his better judgment, he joined the crowd, making sure he was last. When he was in front of James, he smiled and nodded, shaking his hand. James nodded too, but didn't smile. The look in his eyes said clearly, _She's not yours._

Jane was well aware of that. He moved to stand in front of Lisbon. Jane hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for coming," she said politely.

Jane knew this would be his last chance to tell her how he felt…

…so he did.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you more than anyone ever could." Then he pulled away from her and started walking away, feeling a heavy weight withdraw from his heart. Lisbon knew how he felt about her now. Jane wondered if she had ever felt the same way. He glanced over his shoulder at her. His eyes widened in surprise.

She was crying. She wasn't trying to hide it, either, as she usually did. James put his arms around her. Jane heard him ask what was wrong, but couldn't hear Lisbon's response. They started toward the car that would take them to the reception. When James had gotten in, Lisbon turned and looked at Jane.

He realized then that she wasn't crying because she was upset; she was crying because she was happy. At least, that's what it looked like. Jane saw immediately that it was a façade.

Lisbon was still watching him, waiting for him to say something. "I'm sorry," he murmured. Then he turned and walked away without another glance at her. He wasn't attending the reception, as he would probably make things even worse between himself and Lisbon. It was better just to leave things alone for now.

Jane trudged back to his car, getting in and starting it, but not driving away. He didn't trust himself. For good reason, too, because not a second after he had turned the key in the ignition, the tears he had fought since he had first seen Lisbon that day attacked with renewed force: there was no pushing them back.

When he had cried all that he could, he wiped his eyes so that he could see clearly and started the long drive home. He hadn't cried that much even at his wife's and daughter's funerals. No, then he'd had to be a man and not shed a single tear. Now he could cry freely, because he was alone.

Completely and entirely alone.

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**A/N: Hope you liked this beast! Speaking of which, I want a Monster now... While I go take care of that, I would really appreciate if you would tell me what you thought! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I think this chapter is a little less… uh, let's just say, "tear-jerking." More… surprising. I certainly tried, because I can't stand sadness right now! I'm excited! I don't know why! Anyway, my awesome fans, thanks to everyone who gave me lovely reviews! *bows* I am quite grateful. And, to show my appreciation, I've given you all a little surprise. You'll know what it is when you read it. Let's get this show on the road, shall we? (*gasps* I think this is the shortest A/N I've ever written!)**

**Disclaimer: I-a o-da ot-na own-a The-a entalist-Ma! (Ah, the wonders of Pig Latin. Hope you can read it!)**

**Warnings: Language and OOC**

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**Four Months Later**

Lisbon lay in bed beside her husband. She glanced at the clock: 6:00 a.m. She slid out of bed, hoping she didn't wake up James—

"Honey? What is it?"

"Nothing," she said cheerfully, going to the closet. Since getting married, she had moved into James' house. It wasn't that she didn't like the 8500 square-foot home, but sometimes it was just too much for her, especially since they didn't have anyone employed to do the cleaning. James assured her that he was working on that.

"Come back to bed."

"I can't, James," Lisbon said, putting on a sundress, something she would have never worn before, but James liked it. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

He got out of the bed and approached her. "Are you sure you can't stay?" he asked softly, playing with a strand of her hair.

Lisbon smiled. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He kissed her cheek. "Hurry back."

"I will." She turned and left. When she got to the four-car garage five minutes later, she randomly selected a key from the hooks on the wall and clicked the unlock button. Lisbon smirked when the headlights of a sleek blue Jaguar blinked and the alarm beeped twice. She absolutely adored that car. James had gotten it for her, though she didn't know how. It had just been in the garage one day. She had known better than to ask questions.

She went through her agenda for today: get groceries, then coffee, drop off the groceries back here and go to work—scratch that, she wasn't going to work for some time. She was still getting used to her new schedule. So it was just groceries and coffee today. Maybe she would go to the park, relax. Lisbon missed her job – it was what she did best – and she missed her team. She missed her desk, her chair, her consultant—

"Damn it, Teresa, don't think about him," she muttered. "It won't do any good." She hurried to the car, as if it could protect from her memories. Getting in, she started the engine, listening to its smooth purr, then reached up and pressed the button to open the garage door. She backed out, pressed the button again, and pulled into the street.

There wasn't much she needed at the store, so Lisbon got everything in less than ten minutes. Then she headed to her favorite café, praying that it was open today. For whatever reason, the owner would be open on Christmas and closed on some seemingly indiscriminate day, like January 5th.

Apparently, today was special, because there was a "CLOSED" sign in the window. Damn. There was only one other café that she liked, but it was in Malibu. She didn't want to risk seeing… someone… there.

But Lisbon needed her coffee like a flower needed water, so she reluctantly started the drive to Malibu. When she got there, she parked along beside the curb, ignoring the looks she got as she locked the Jaguar and it chirped at her. Before she went inside, she casually looked through the windows, making sure _he_ wasn't there. She couldn't really tell if he was or not, and she wasn't going to look like an idiot by pressing her face up against the glass.

Besides, what was she going to do if he was? Run? He would probably be the one who fled.

Anxiousness created butterflies in her stomach as Lisbon walked into the café, listening to the little bell above the door chime. Standing tall, she joined the people waiting in line for coffee. When she was ordering hers, the bell chimed again. She knew it was him before he even spoke.

"Lisbon?"

She didn't answer him. When she received her coffee, she thanked the young woman who had given it to her and walked away from the counter – and Jane – with her head held high. She left the café, fully aware that Jane was behind her.

"Lisbon… Teresa, please…" He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She froze, turning slowly to glare at him.

"What?" she hissed.

"Why are you angry with me?" He was upset.

"You know why."

"I'm sorry. It was my last chance."

"Oh? Did you even think about how what you said would affect my marriage?" She waited for the answer that never came. "That's what I thought."

"Teresa, please…"

"Don't call me that!" She pulled away from him. She knew that at any moment, she was going to start crying.

But Jane had already beaten her to it. "Lisbon," he whispered, "please. Just let me explain."

"Explain what?" she demanded, her voice cracking. "What is there to explain?"

He hesitated, then said, "I'm sorry. Can't you see that? I never meant to hurt you, or your marriage. It was my last chance to tell you… I couldn't… I can't… I…" Suddenly, he broke down and started sobbing.

Lisbon just stood there in shock, watching him, watching the passers-by look at him strangely and hurry past. She wanted to run, just leave him there, but she knew she couldn't.

So she approached him, put her arm around him, and guided him to her car. Once she had gotten him in, she dashed to the other side of the Jaguar and got in, too. Cautiously, she embraced him, murmuring soothingly in his ear and rubbing his shoulders in an attempt to calm him down, like a mother would a child. She felt terrible now, because she knew this was partially her fault. She shouldn't have been so harsh on him.

After what seemed like hours, Jane finally seemed to relax. He looked embarrassed, but still very sad. "I'm a mess," he muttered.

"That hasn't changed." Lisbon smiled at him, and his face lit up. "Do you want me to drive you home?"

"No. I can walk."

Lisbon noticed that Jane really _was_ a mess. His unruly curls that had looked careless and casual before now seemed too young on him. His hair was also longer, nearly to his shoulders. His eyes… she couldn't even look at his eyes. The pain and utter desolation in them were too much.

And she knew it was because of her, and she hated herself for it.

"Jane," she said, stopping him as he was opening the door. He looked back at her. "Let me drive you."

"I don't want you to see how I live," he said.

"Please."

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm sorry, too. It's probably going to take me a while to completely forgive you, but..." Lisbon looked into his eyes. "But I will. I promise."

"Teresa…" Jane took her hand and squeezed it. "You don't know how much this means to me. Thank you."

"Have you forgiven me?" she asked shyly, not really knowing if she wanted to hear his answer.

Jane smiled. "Of course."

As Lisbon was smiling in return, she remembered that Jane didn't _know_ yet. Now that they had mended their… whatever they had between each other, she didn't want to make it all come crashing down again. But if she didn't tell him, he'd be even more upset.

Lovely: a lose-lose situation.

But maybe Jane would be happy for her, if not for James. She didn't need him to be happy for her husband. She just wanted him to accept her and her new life. She had to tell him.

"Jane, promise me something," she murmured.

"Anything," he answered.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Lisbon warned. "I want you to promise not to be angry and upset when I tell you this."

"That's a tall order." Jane looked worried now.

"Please…Patrick."

After some hesitation, he said, "I promise."

She twined her fingers with his as she said, "I'm pregnant."

Completely shocking her, Jane hugged her. "How long?" he asked eagerly.

"Two and a half months," she said, her tone matching his.

"Do you know whether it's going to be a boy or a girl?"

"I want it to be a surprise, so I interrupted the nurse midsentence." Jane laughed. Lisbon's mind spoke for her: "It's good to hear you laugh again."

"It's good to laugh again." His eyes lost some of their sadness. "Have you chosen any names?"

"Adeline Carlin Hawthorne if it's a girl," Lisbon said. She had picked out the first name; it was the same as her mother's. James' mother's name had been Carlin. She had died a few years ago of a heart attack.

"Beautiful. And what if it's a boy?"

Lisbon was quiet for a moment, then whispered, "Christopher Patrick Hawthorne."

Jane looked at her. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes. It took a _lot_ of convincing." She smiled at him. "I have something to ask you."

He still looked a bit stunned. "Ask away."

"Would you be the godfather?"

"I would be honored. Thank you." After a moment, unable to contain his excitement any longer, he hugged her again.

"I'm having a baby," Lisbon said in awe.

"You're having a baby," Jane agreed, chuckling. As he pulled away from her, he obviously couldn't resist it, and he kissed her cheek. "You'll be a great mother. When someone wants to see the baby, you'll ask for their ID and interrogate them until they leave."

Lisbon laughed. "You forgot that I'll also do a background check on them first."

They laughed together. Then Lisbon asked, "Are you sure you want to walk home?"

"I'll be fine. Trust me."

Oh, the memories those last two words brought back. "Okay. We should do… something else… next time, instead of sitting in a car and talking."

"Next time?"

"Are you free on Friday?" That was three days from now.

Jane inhaled through his teeth. "Ooh, I don't know. I'll have to check my schedule." He grinned at her. "Of course I am. Anytime is free time when I have the chance to spend it with you and Miss Adeline or Mr. Christopher."

Lisbon blushed. "All right. We'll meet right here, same time."

"Yes, ma'am. See you Friday." He got out of the car and waved at her. She waved back at him, started the car, and pulled away from the curb. In her rearview mirror, she saw Jane watch her go, then turn and walk the other way down the sidewalk.

She missed him already.

When Lisbon had gotten home – parked the car, unloaded groceries, put them away, etc. – she went upstairs and changed into her jersey, then managed to find the living room. She settled down on the couch with a book: _A Great and Terrible Beauty_ by Libba Bray. It was quite good so far, even though she hadn't had much time to read it.

She had just turned the page when James came storming in. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

Lisbon knew she had to handle this carefully, and under no circumstances mention that she had seen Jane. "Oh, James, the traffic was horrible!" she exclaimed. "Come sit and I'll tell you what happened." Glaring at her, he did as she asked. "So there I am, waiting for the car ahead of me to finally move, and then it does. It goes about ten feet, then it stops again, and I wasn't prepared for it _at all_. I almost crashed right into it!" She pretended to be frightened, as if she were remembering what had – or rather, hadn't – happened. "I was so scared. I thought that I would hurt myself and whoever else was in that car. I almost started crying right there." She shivered, and James' expression changed from one of anger to one of concern. He opened his arms and she leaned into him. "I pulled over as soon as I got the chance. I needed to calm down. It took a while."

"Please be more careful next time, Teresa," he murmured, stroking her hair. "I don't want you to get hurt. What car were you driving?"

"The Jaguar."

"I'll have the brakes improved on it, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, is that what you're going to do all day," he teased, "sit here and read?"

"No, of course not." She smiled at him and closed the book, putting it on the table beside the couch.

"All right. I'll be upstairs."

Lisbon nodded and kissed his cheek. James smiled and got up. He walked up the grand spiral staircase and disappeared from view. As soon as he was gone, Lisbon picked up her book and began reading again.

She had confessed to herself long ago that she might have made a mistake in marrying James so quickly. She hadn't known enough about him, like the fact that he was a control freak, just like her. He had prevailed in the battle for dominance in the Hawthorne household, and at times would remind her of it. Those times were becoming more frequent, and, though she'd hate to admit it, she was frightened. She was also determined that if it continued even after their child was born, she was leaving. She wanted her baby to grow up in a loving home, no matter what.

And she would do whatever it took to make that happen.

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**A/N: So, whatcha think? Did you like your little surprise? Do you approve of my names? (You'd better, because I spent the better part of my Thursday looking them up!) (jk) Idk when the next chapter will even begin to take shape. I have so much going on, I think that my real life is a dream and my dreams are real life! Make of that what you will. TTFN, my dearlings! **

_**In the arithmetic of love, 1+1= everything, and 2-1= nothing.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello, hello, hello! (That wasn't supposed to sound like Count Olaf… oops.) This is why I haven't been on in a long time: I was stolen away by ninjas who took me to a desert with a small supply of food and water. I stayed with them and they told me the reason for the universe. They taught me everything they knew. I don't know exactly how long I was there, but I'm back now! And yes, that was a total lie. But it's better than just saying my internet was down. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Er, remember how I said in the AN of the last chapter that I couldn't stand sadness right now? I kinda… sorta… mighta… lied a little, because this chapter is **_**sad**_**. You've been warned, and I will warn you again. So there. Also, this chapter is longer than some of the others. (I'm making up for chapter 3, which was very short.) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ask Bruno Heller if he owns it. It's the only time you'll get a "yes." As for me, "no."**

**Warnings: Sadness, OOC, language, time jump**

**Additional A/N: There's a little present for you since I was gone so long. I'm feeling generous today. Maybe it's because of band camp... ("Make a straight line, guys!" "It _is_ straight, Papa! It's _our _version of a straight line!")**

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As the months passed and Lisbon's due date grew closer, she and Jane spent even more time together. Most of the time, it was because she missed him. Sometimes it was because James had decided that she had forgotten who was boss. Jane didn't know about that. He wouldn't ever know about that.

Because she knew James would never allow her to invite Jane to the baby shower, they had one of their own together. It started to rain a little, so they hurried back to her car, which was parked in front of the café. When Jane gave her the present, she was suspicious.

"How much did you spend?" she asked.

He smiled and said, "No more than was necessary." It was a mobile with tiny cats and dogs on it. "It was my daughter's. I cleaned it and everything, so…so it should be…o-okay…"

She hugged him tightly until he regained control of himself. "Thank you so much," she murmured. She knew she wouldn't ever receive a better gift from anyone. Her cell phone rang suddenly. She looked at the caller ID. "Damn," she muttered. "It's James."

"I'll be quiet, then," Jane said.

Lisbon answered her phone. "Hi, honey," she said cheerfully. "I was just about to call you."

"Where are you?" He was angry.

"I'm in the car."

"Yes, I can see that." Then he hung up.

"Oh, no," she whispered. "Patrick, you have to go. Now."

"Teresa, I'm not leaving you. He doesn't scare me."

"He should. Please, just go. Please." She looked at him fearfully. "Please. Hurry—"

A sudden sharp sound made her jump. James was standing outside the car. He pounded on the window again. "Get out here!" he roared.

Tears were streaming down Lisbon's face as she whispered, "Go!" With one last worried look at her, Jane burst out of the car and into the café. Lisbon knew he was watching through the window.

James dragged her out of her car and into his. "So _this_ is what you've been doing?" he yelled. "Meeting _him_?"

"I'm sorry, James," Lisbon said quietly. She was terrified of her husband, of what he had become. "It won't happen—" She yelped when he hit her.

"Damn right it won't happen again," James hissed, "because you're not leaving the house anymore. Ever. Do you understand me?"

The words came out before she could stop them. "But, James—" She cried out as he hit her again. _Fight back!_ her mind screamed. _You can beat him!_ But she knew she couldn't. "What about the baby?" she asked desperately. "What about going to a hospital?"

"No. We'll have someone come to the house." He leaned closer to her. "And you'd better hope, for your sake, that it's a girl," he growled.

She nodded. "I know."

"Can I trust you to drive home with _no_ detours?"

"Yes."

"Then go. Now."

"Yes, James." Lisbon got out of the car and hurried back to hers. She didn't meet Jane's eyes. They probably wouldn't see each other again. "Oh, Patrick," she murmured when she was inside her car. "I'm so sorry, Patrick. Please… please forgive me."

It was her fault that this was the way her life had ended up. She should have listened to Jane. Before this, she would have been able to counter those violent moments with the sweet things that James did, but now she knew it was useless. Their marriage had ended when James told her what would happen if she gave birth to a boy: they would raise him together for five years, then she was on her own.

And she was still driving to their house to put up with more of this behavior. She could just pull onto a different street and keep going until she ran out of gas. But she didn't. She needed help raising the baby for awhile. Then she would leave James for good.

She would be taking the baby with her no matter what he said.

**Five Years Later**

"Come on!" Lisbon called. "Hurry, Chris!"

"Mommy!"

"I'm here, honey," she said. "Just come on. Hurry, you'll be okay. Mommy will keep you safe."

"Okay. I trust you, Mommy."

She smiled through her tears. James had left for the time being, with strict orders that they be gone when he returned. "Come on, sweetheart. I'll help you. We need to get everything to the car."

"Where are we going?"

"A friend's house. We'll be safe there. I promise."

"Okay." Chris began dragging his little suitcase behind him, following his mother. He didn't know what was happening, only that Daddy had left and Mommy was sad and now they were leaving, too. He didn't like Daddy because he hurt Mommy. Maybe that's why they were leaving.

He had no idea.

Every time headlights shone through the window, Lisbon flinched, thinking it was James. When they got to the garage, she asked Chris what car he wanted to use. He picked a red Mustang GT. Lisbon loaded all of their things – there wasn't much – into the backseat. "You get to ride up front tonight," she told Chris. His face lit up and he climbed into the car. Lisbon got in, too, after taking the keys from the wall.

"Where's your friend's house?" Chris asked once they were on the highway.

"Malibu."

"What's her name?"

"No, he's a boy. His name is Patrick Jane."

"My middle name is Patrick!"

"Yes. You're named after him."

"Cool!"

Lisbon smiled at her son. He was her pride and joy, her sunshine. She never wanted to lose him. "I used to visit him a lot," she said, remembering.

"You did? When?"

"When you were still in my tummy." She recalled when he had given her the mobile. She still had it, because James didn't know who had given it to her.

"Really? Did he like me?"

"He loved you. He loved you as much as I do." The tears were coming…

"Why isn't he my daddy then?"

Lisbon took a shaky breath. "Because I made a mistake. But maybe now he can be your daddy. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah. Mommy, why are you crying?"

"I'm happy, sweetie. I'm finally going to give you the life you deserve."

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, Chris. Try to get some sleep, okay?"

"'Kay." He settled back into his seat and closed his eyes. Lisbon kept driving, wondering if Jane would accept her and her child into his home. She needed him more than ever. But what if he had gotten over her? What if he was off chasing Red John and was killed? What if… what if he hated her now? For not contacting him? For not glancing at him one last time when she had the chance? It wasn't as though she hadn't thought of him, because she certainly did. She missed him so much.

Now she just had to remember where his damned house was.

After several wrong turns and dead ends, she saw the mailbox with the right address on it and pulled into the driveway. She shook Chris's shoulder gently. He blinked dazedly a few times. "We're here now," Lisbon said. He smiled and fell asleep again. He was exhausted. If Jane was here, she would come back out and get him. If not, there was no point in waking him up.

Lisbon got out of the car. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the door and pressed the doorbell. Lights went on through the curtains, and the door opened to reveal a haggard Patrick Jane wearing only a pair of blue boxer briefs.

"Can I—" she began, but Jane pulled her inside and trapped her in a massive hug. She wrapped her arms around his bare torso despite the fact that he was nearly naked.

"I missed you so much, Teresa," he whispered.

"I missed you more. I'm so sorry."

"You're forgiven." Jane kissed her cheek. "It wasn't your fault."

"Thank you. Now can you please get dressed?" she asked, pulling away from him so that she could look at his face.

"Why?"

"Mommy?"

They both turned toward the door and saw Chris rubbing his eyes with his little fists. He studied Jane carefully, but said nothing else.

"That's why. Come here, sweetie. This is Patrick." Chris walked to his mother and took her hand. "Patrick, this is my son, Christopher."

Tears filled his Jane's eyes as he knelt in front of Chris, who stuck out his hand. Jane grasped it and shook it gently.

"It's nice to meet you, Patrick," Chris said.

"You… you too, Chris." Unable to control himself any longer, he hugged the small boy in front of him. Being a child, Chris hugged him back. "If you want to," Jane said when he finally pulled away and stood up, "you can go watch TV." He pointed towards where Lisbon supposed the living room was. Chris looked up at her, asking permission. She nodded, and he walked into the other room, instead of running like a normal five-year-old boy would. James had been his teacher—he wouldn't let her to enroll him in kindergarten. If Chris did something he wasn't allowed to, Lisbon would wake up with bruises and cuts that had been inflicted in front of their son. Had it been a little girl, she would have been spoiled rotten.

"I had to come here," she said. "He kicked me out." She told him about what James had said five years earlier. "If you want us to go, I understand."

"I don't want you to go," Jane said. "Please don't go."

"I won't as long as you put some clothes on."

"Don't pretend you don't like it," he teased, some of the old sparkle returning to his eyes.

Lisbon _did_ like it. She liked it far more than she should have. But for the sake of her son, she needed him to get dressed. "I'm sure Chris doesn't want to see you like that," she said.

"Meh," he said, waving her words away, "we're both men. He doesn't care."

"I care. Please?"

"Try again."

She shot her patented Lisbon-glare at him, and he was gone. Lisbon smiled to herself and walked into the living room to join her son. There was some cartoon show on, but Chris wasn't watching it. He had fallen asleep once more, spread out on the sofa. She sat at the end of it and gazed at him fondly. She knew Jane would help her take care of Chris. She also knew that Jane probably had questions, and she wasn't going to want to answer most of them.

Especially the ones about Chris.

So when Jane walked into the room, Lisbon avoided looking at him, pretending to watch the television intently.

He chuckled. "I didn't realize you were a fan of _SpongeBob_," he said, grinning.

"Oh, yes. Huge fan."

He walked over and sat on the floor in front of her, since there wasn't any room on the couch. "My daughter was, too. She always wanted me to watch it with her, but I never had time. I regret it now."

Lisbon waited for him to shed a tear or two, but he didn't. Instead, he got up and walked away. She watched him, wondering what in the world he was doing. He came back with a blanket and covered Chris with it, tucking it carefully around the sides. He kissed the boy's forehead and murmured, "Sweet dreams, little one," before moving to stand in front of Lisbon. He reached out his hand. "Come on," he said. "I need to show you something."

"Okay," Lisbon said, taking his hand cautiously and standing up. As soon as she saw that Jane was headed for the staircase, she stopped. "Patrick, what…?"

"You'll see when we get up there."

Her mind connected things by itself: _staircase + the fact that Chris is asleep = bedroom_. She wasn't ready for that. She wanted to tell him that, tell him to stop, but she didn't. She followed him upstairs and to the door at the end of the hallway.

"Teresa," Jane said. "What I am about to show you is probably one of the most terrible things you'll ever see. I'm ashamed of it, but I can't seem to find the strength to do something about it. Please don't think badly of me."

"Patrick, what are you talking about?" she asked in confusion as he opened the door.

"This," he whispered. Lisbon peered inside the room. She was able to make out the shape of what looked like a mattress on the floor against the far wall, and something like a smudge on that wall. Most of the smudge was cloaked in shadows. She felt for a light switch on the wall, found on, and turned it on. She gasped and put a hand to her mouth, feeling as though she was going to be sick.

A distinctive Red John smiley face leered at her from above Jane's makeshift bed. "Oh, my God," she breathed. "Oh, Patrick… why… how…" She was the one with the questions now.

"As you can see, I don't have a bed for you to sleep on. All the furniture was taken out of the house except for the sofa downstairs. The television is to watch the news. I don't have a phone, so I hope you brought yours."

"Patrick, don't change the subject." Lisbon looked at him, tears blurring her vision. "Why are you torturing yourself like this? You don't deserve it."

"I do deserve it. It's my fault they're gone."

"If you still love her, why am I even here?"

Her words stung him. "I loved Rachael then. I love you now. Please accept me, Teresa, even though I am who I am. I don't want to lose you, too."

She softened. "I accepted you a long time ago." She embraced him and whispered, "I messed up."

"But you can make it better. _We_ can make it better. Can you just do one thing for me?" Lisbon looked up at him and nodded. He smiled at her. "Don't freak out."

Her words died in her throat as he kissed her gently. She tensed when his arms went around her. Would this lead to something else? She didn't want to risk it, so she didn't kiss him back. When he pulled away, he said, "I'm going to call that progress. If you don't want me to do it again, I understand."

"Not now. Give me some time." Lisbon looked into his eyes. "Please. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're fine." He smiled at her.

"The first thing we're doing in the morning," Lisbon said quietly, "is getting rid of _that_."

He didn't answer her for a minute. Then he embraced her and murmured, "Okay."

Lisbon hugged him back with all she had. Despite all of his faults, Jane was a good man, the best she'd ever had. She wanted Chris to have a father who loved them both, and she knew that Jane was perfect. Her son could finally have a normal life: he could go to school, make friends, and not be treated like dirt by his own father.

But she couldn't get rid of the feeling that this was playing out exactly like James wanted it to.

* * *

**A/N: Did you like your present? (For those of you who didn't notice it, it was Jane in his underwear.) You're very welcome! I put that in there just for you guys, so that you would have mercy for my extreme lateness. BAND CAMP ROX! Sorry, but it does. Who's with me? This is almost done, I'm actually a little sad. This is (in my opinion) my best fic right now. You don't have to agree. As I write, I grow and learn things about the characters I write about and my style of writing. And bla, bla, bla, sentimental crap that I don't care about. Love you, I will try my best to UD sooner next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey, ya'll! This is my first chapter of anything that I've written since I got my braces. Exciting, isn't it? Yes, I know it's been a long time... I planned on having this whole beast done before school started. As you can see, that didn't happen. I offer my deepest apologies. Anyway, on a happier noter, thanks to lizzybeth for being an awesome beta (and my first ever beta) for this chapter! Kisses for you! Guess who's back in this one? No, you have to guess. Or read. That would work, too, I suppose.**

**Disclaimer: Even if we were in some bizarre other world, the answer would still be, "No, I do not own the Whancetabulous-ness that is The Mentalist." **

**Warnings: Language, OOC, all the usual stuff for this one**

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**Five months later**

Sitting alone in my – _our_ – mansion was unbearable. I couldn't take it. She hadn't said goodbye to me. Five months without hearing her voice. Didn't Teresa know that I loved her? Didn't she care? I missed her so much. She could have just taken the boy to an orphanage, like I'd said. Then we could still be together. We could've tried again, had a little girl. Yes, we had our quarrels, but all couples did, right? It was normal. I hadn't wanted her to go to a hospital because of mix-ups. What if we lost our child and received someone else's? And we couldn't afford it. I was helping her.

She just misunderstood what I was trying to do. If I knew where she was, maybe I could talk to her and convince her to come back. Actually, I had a good idea of where she was. I needed her. I _wanted_ her. Teresa was my _wife_. I was going to find her, whatever it took.

Even if I had to kill.

"Dad! Over here!"

"Your mother's in the way!"

"Throw it over her!"

"Yeah, Dad," Lisbon teased, "throw it over me."

Jane smirked at her. "I'd rather you move."

"Oh, you would, would you? Okay, then." Out of nowhere, Lisbon tackled him, wrenching the ball out of his hand and throwing it to Chris. "Is that better?" she asked.

"Much better, thank you." Jane kissed her cheek before she moved away from him, blushing.

Chris laughed with delight. "Dad kissed Mommy!" he yelled, running up to them as they stood up.

"Yes, he did," Lisbon said. "And now Mommy's gonna kiss you!"

Chris squealed and ran away as fast as his five-year-old legs would carry him. Lisbon gave chase, grabbing him carefully around his waist and spinning him around before hugging him to her. She placed a kiss on his head, and he kissed her cheek.

Jane smiled. Lisbon was a perfect mother. She hadn't told Chris to call him "Dad," but he did now. It had started the day after they'd arrived at his house. Jane had excused himself to regain control of his emotions; he hadn't been called "Dad" for so long, he had almost forgotten what it felt like.

He was giving Lisbon time to adjust. He (usually) asked permission before kissing her or touching her, because he knew she was still unsure of her feelings. And she could punch harder than her small frame suggested.

The smiley face was still present – in his house and in his dreams. Jane had thought that having Lisbon with him would put an end to the nightmares, but they only became more vivid, more lifelike. Red John was obviously still a threat, and now there was something more for him to take. Lisbon and Chris were beacons, shiny new playthings that Jane had and Red John wanted.

With Lisbon in his life again, however, Jane was finally beginning to understand that revenge was gratuitous. Whether he killed him or Lisbon did, Red John would be _gone_, and Jane would be _free_. He wasn't quite ready yet to completely accept it, but he was making progress, progress that was virtually impossible before.

Lisbon was doing everything she could to raise Chris in a normal environment. Jane's lack of furniture wasn't part of that. The first thing that she purchased was a king-sized bed for Jane and herself. She replaced the mattress; the old one that Jane had been accustomed to had gone out on the sidewalk for the garbage truck to take care of. She had gotten things for every room in the house. Chris got his own bedroom: the one that had belonged to Jane's daughter. Lilli's favorite color had been purple, but Chris's favorite was green. The room was now Brilliant Emerald. Jane hadn't been present for the color change, but it was by his choice. He'd painted Lilli's room himself.

She was pushing Jane hard, but he knew it had to happen. It was the right thing to do.

Lisbon had recently told him that she had the strange feeling that James was planning something. Jane wasn't concerned; James had made his choice. He was going to have to live with it. But when she began waking up crying, choking on her tears, he started to worry. If she was this upset, there was certainly a reason to be concerned. She didn't like talking about her past with James, so he didn't really know exactly what had happened. She would tell him when she was ready.

Chris had started school. He'd been in kindergarten for a week; then the school recommended that he be moved up to first grade. Since he was Lisbon's son, Jane had let her decide. She had given her permission to transfer him. He made friends quickly; Jane hardly saw him on Friday nights or Saturday mornings anymore.

He missed Chris, but his absences gave him more time with Lisbon. He didn't know what Lisbon was going to say their relationship was, or what she had told Chris to tell his friends. He would have to ask her tonight; it was Friday. The students had the day off today, so before Chris left, he was playing catch with his parents. He wanted to play football, but Lisbon didn't approve of the idea, so it was just a game of catch.

And Jane had completely forgotten that fact.

"Patrick!"

Jane blinked and ducked as the ball went sailing through the air where his head had just been. "Good throw," he said, standing straight again and making his way over to a wide-eyed Chris.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he said.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Jane tousled the boy's dark hair. "I need to have good reflexes anyway, if I'm going to back to work." He looked at Lisbon and smiled. "I may need to dodge a few punches, or a saucer once in a while."

"You really want to go back to work?" Lisbon asked, her voice filled with excitement.

"I'm contemplating the idea," he said. "It depends entirely upon whether you're going to accompany me, my dear."

"Of course I'm going with you," she said. "I haven't been to work since…" Tears filled her eyes when she realized exactly how long it had been. "…since the second month of my pregnancy."

"They're going to welcome you back with open arms," Jane assured her. He knew she probably wouldn't have her team – or even be a member of her team – when she returned, but at least she would be doing what she loved: helping people.

Suddenly, Chris yelped. He held his hand up to his mother. "A bee stung me," he said. He wasn't crying. He didn't even seem to be in pain. Jane had noticed that he never cried or showed weakness. James had scared him so badly that he couldn't.

"Okay," Lisbon said. "We'll take care of it. Time to go in." They began walking toward the house.

"I can still go to Tim's, right?"

Lisbon chuckled. "Yes, you can still go to Tim's." She looked behind her and noticed that Jane wasn't following them. "Are you coming?"

"I'll be right in," Jane said. "I'm getting the ball." She nodded and led Chris inside. Jane went to look for the ball. He couldn't see it; it must have rolled under a bush. He got down on his hands and knees, lifting the leaves of the bushes until he saw the ball. He reached for it. Just when his fingers brushed it, something hit him in the side. Instincts kicking in, he rolled out from under the bush and tried to shield himself. He closed his eyes, waiting for the next blow.

He heard familiar laughter, and his eyes flew open. Lisbon stood over him, hands on her hips, probably completely unaware of how beautiful she looked, in her cutoffs and t-shirt, from Jane's perspective. "What?" she asked. "You said you needed to have good reflexes. I'm helping you."

"Helping me by nearly giving me a heart attack?" Jane stood up. Just as he regained his balance, Lisbon jumped at him, causing him to stagger back and end up on his rear. She laughed again. "You are just so funny," he muttered.

"Aren't I?" She kicked at him, but he'd seen it coming this time and dodged. While she was still standing on one foot, he dove forward and grabbed her leg, tugging her to the ground. She squeaked in surprise as she fell. Jane immediately took advantage of her position, pinning her legs down with one of his and restraining her arms.

"Didn't expect that," he said breathlessly, "did you?"

"No." She smirked at him. Then she freed her legs, wrapped them around his so that he couldn't move them, and rolled so that she was holding him down. "How about you?"

"No." Jane didn't mind being overpowered by the small woman. The amused gleam in her eyes was fading, and uncertainty was taking over. Before she could leave, he asked, "May I?"

She nodded. Jane kissed her, removing his hand from her grasp and caressing her cheek. It was supposed to be a sweet, simple kiss, but with only a slight shift of her body, Lisbon changed that. She moaned softly, her hand moving to tangle itself in his curls.

"Mom!" Chris's voice floated from the open window. "It's almost six! I told Tim I'd be there at six-fifteen!"

As she pulled away, Jane muttered, "Damn." But when she shyly tucked her hair behind her ear, blushing, he knew the way she looked right then, like a teenager caught with her first boyfriend, was better than any kiss. He remembered that he was going to ask her something. "When you get back, I want to talk to you," he told her as they stood up.

"Do you want to _talk_, talk," she asked, "or _talk_, talk?"

"The one that involves us sitting on the sofa in the living room and discussing certain issues."

Lisbon was immediately uneasy. "What… what issues?"

"Nothing you don't want to talk about."

She relaxed. "Okay. I've got to—"

"Mom! Where are you? I'm gonna be late!"

"I'm coming, Mr. Impatient," she called back. She headed for the house.

Jane cleared his throat, and she looked back at him. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He pointed at his cheek and pouted.

She grinned at him as she walked back and kissed him. "I'll be home soon," she whispered against his skin.

"You know, doing that isn't very safe."

"Doing what?"

"Being so utterly appealing. It's not fair."

Lisbon laughed, moving so that she could look at his eyes. "I could say the same to you," she murmured, before walking into the house.

Jane just stood there, thunderstruck. Evil woman, turning him on and then leaving him hanging. Finally, he regained his ability to move and followed her. Chris, backpack in tow, was getting into Jane's Citroën. Lisbon had sold her Mustang to pay for the furniture. He had been against it, as it was his strong belief that they needed two cars, but she had disagreed. He wasn't about to argue with a woman who had taken down sprinting Hulk look-alikes three times her size. And he knew the real reason for getting rid of the beautiful vehicle was because it reminded her of James.

If the sight of it upset her, it was better gone.

"Hey, buddy," Jane said, walking around the car and kneeling beside Chris. "How about a hug?"

The small boy wrapped his arms around Jane's neck and whispered, "I love you, Daddy."

He still hadn't gotten used to those words. "I love you too, Chris," he said, returning his embrace. "Behave for Tim's parents, all right? And have fun. Call us before you go to bed."

"Okay." Chris pulled away and smiled. "See you tomorrow. I'll miss you."

"Me, too." Jane stood up when he heard Lisbon approaching. "Be careful," he said.

"I'm always careful," she said, waving away his warning. "We're already late. Tim's going to be wondering where you are, Chris." She got in the car and started it. "I'll be back soon," she told Jane as she buckled her seatbelt. "Could you start dinner? When I get back, I can help you."

With one last wave at Chris, Jane made his way over to the driver's side of the car. "It'll already be getting cold when you return," he said, his tone serious.

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

"It's a bet. If you get home before I'm done, you win. If I'm finished before you get home, I win. Deal?"

Her eyes sparkling with mischief, Lisbon took his hand, confirming their bet. "Deal."

"Can we go now?" Chris asked impatiently.

"Yes," Jane said, stepping away from the car. As it pulled out of the driveway, he shouted, "I'm gonna win!"

"Not a chance!" Lisbon's voice yelled back.

Jane chuckled as he hurried into the house. He was _so_ going to win. And he already knew what he wanted his prize to be.

Lisbon, after breaking a few speed limits on the way home (she was surprised at how fast that little toy of a car could go), finally pulled back into the driveway. She got out of the car, ran to the door, and burst inside. "Honey, I'm home," she called.

"Honey, I've won," Jane's amused voice returned.

"Dammit," she muttered, walking into the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter, watching her. "How?"

"Frozen dinners are, unsurprisingly, quite easy to prepare." He smiled innocently; he knew he was in trouble. He always did.

"You cheated!" Lisbon exclaimed. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You cheated," she said again, pouting.

"I'm sorry, my dear," he said, shrugging. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't specify what I had to make, or how long it had to take."

Lisbon groaned and moved away from him. "Cheater," she mumbled. She should've known he would do something like this.

"Are you upset?"

"Upset over losing a stupid bet that you cheated at just to win? Ha," Lisbon said bitterly, hamming it up and playing the guilt card, "that's funny."

"Teresa, it was only a game." She felt his arms wrap around her waist, holding her so that she couldn't leave. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. "I can make it up to you."

"How?" she asked. She knew exactly what he had in mind.

"By telling you that I didn't actually win."

Or maybe she didn't know. "What?"

"I was kidding. I started dinner, was almost finished, but I was missing one key ingredient."

"You were missing an ingredient?" Lisbon was confused. "But you always keep the cupboards full."

"Silly woman," he chuckled, "I was talking about you. You said you'd help me, didn't you?"

Lisbon sighed and smiled. "You and your mind games."

"Me and my mind games," he agreed. He released her after placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Come on, we have dinner to make."

"Which I thought you'd have done by now," Lisbon teased.

"Just for that comment, you can peel the tomatoes."

"Fine. What are we making?" she asked, following Jane to the counter.

"Ratatouille."

That was a new one. He had never made that before, at least not that Lisbon knew of. Deciding to surprise him, she said, "Okay. I'll do the pepper, the eggplant, and the zucchini, too."

"How do you know how to make this?" Jane certainly looked surprised.

"I took a cooking class in high school. If you didn't know how to make this, you failed."

"I guess you didn't fail."

Lisbon beamed. "Nope. Aced it. Now where are those tomatoes?"

I put my binoculars down as calmly as I could, when I was actually enraged. I knew she would be here, with _him_. That good-for-nothing, arrogant fake psychic with the screwed-up life. What did Teresa see in him? Surely not his personality; cold, distant, ignorant. How could she possibly live with him? He had probably hypnotized her or... something.

And where was that boy? Running through the house somewhere unseen? Or had they gotten rid of him, like Teresa should have when she was with me? I had told her that no good would come of having him around. He was loud and annoying. A little girl would have been much better behaved, if she had taken after her father.

But _Chris_ had taken after his mother, of course. She spent more time with him than she did with me. I was her husband! I still loved her! I had to get her back.

Now was my chance. They were unsuspecting, completely at ease. Teresa hadn't been to work in a long time; she wouldn't be as comfortable with a gun as she had been before.

Within the hour, she would back in my arms again. I just had to eliminate Blondie, and that was the easy part. I patted my coat pocket, the weight of my new Springfield Ultra Compact giving me courage. I would win my Teresa back, whether it was a fair fight or not.

Jane had just put the food in the oven when he heard a door open. Lisbon had gone to wash up in the bathroom, where she wouldn't be in his way while he was cleaning the kitchen. They'd had a bit of a food fight. Jane had lost, so he got to clean up. He'd let her win, though. His mind drifted back to the door.

"Teresa?" he called.

"Hang on, I just got in here!" Her voice was muffled; she was still in the bathroom.

Someone else was in the house. Jane had the feeling that this wasn't going to end well. "Hello?" No one answered him.

Suddenly, he heard a gun being cocked. What was going on?

"Teresa," a male voice said. "Come out and say hello."

James. What did he want? Why was he here? Jane's thoughts stopped in their tracks when he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. It became clear: James wanted Lisbon. He also wanted Jane out of the picture, and probably Chris. Did James know he wasn't here?

"Hello, Mr. Jane," James said, smirking. "I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?"

"Hello, James. May I ask why you broke into my home with a gun?"

"I want to see Teresa. Where is she?"

"I'm right here, James." Lisbon stepped out from the bathroom. "Please put the gun away. There's no need for it."

"I wouldn't be so sure." James smiled kindly at her. "Come here, Teresa," he said, his voice gentle and soft.

"Put the gun away first." Her voice was steady and calm.

"No. You come here," James threatened, "or your friend here loses his head."

Jane tried speaking with his eyes – _Teresa, don't listen to him _– but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were focused on James.

"James, please. If you love me, you'll put it away."

"Don't say that!" he spat. "You have no right, you little whore! You left me for him!"

"I didn't leave you for him," Lisbon said quietly. "I left you because you threatened me. I went to the only place I could."

James snorted. "That's a lie. You could have gone to that pretty redhead you worked with... what's her name? Grace? Beautiful girl..."

Anger flashed in Lisbon's eyes. "Don't talk about her like that," she growled, control ebbing away quickly.

James smiled: he'd found his way in. "Oh, you don't like it?"

"I don't appreciate you talking about her that way." Lisbon paused. "Especially since you have a few girls that wouldn't appreciate it, either. Sarah, Michelle, Tina..."

James's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me. You've been cheating on me since we were dating. You didn't think I'd find out?" Lisbon scoffed. "I'm not a helpless little girl. Patrick was right; you're an asshole."

"Have you not noticed that I'm holding a gun to said Patrick's head?" James demanded.

"Oh, I noticed. But you won't shoot him." Lisbon looked at Jane then, into his eyes. "I know you won't. You're too scared."

"Mind your words, Teresa," James hissed through gritted teeth. He poked Jane with the gun; he flinched.

"Why don't you point that gun at me? Not that you'll shoot me, either."

"Fine." As James was moving the gun toward her, Lisbon pulled out her own gun – her Glock – and aimed it at him.

"Drop it, James," she commanded, a hint of triumph in her voice.

Jane understood what she had done; taunted James, made him move his gun so that Jane wasn't at the end of it.

"You think you're quite clever, don't you?" James glared at her. "Not this time, Teresa." He swung the gun at her and pulled the trigger.

Jane's cry of anguish was drowned out by three shots from Lisbon's gun. James fell back, the gun falling out of his grasp and spinning across the kitchen floor. Jane ignored him and raced to Lisbon's side. Miraculously, she wasn't hurt. He put his arm around her anyway, and took her hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked frantically, searching her for blood just in case.

"I'm fine," she murmured. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Then why are you crying?"

She sniffled and said, "I'm not," wiping at her eyes. The wet streaks gleamed in the light, catching her lie.

Jane kissed her forehead. "You did what you had to do," he told her.

Lisbon nodded. She rested her head on his chest. Jane knew that they should call 911 and have someone come and take care of this mess, and call Tim's parents and tell them not to watch the news tonight, in case that story came up. When he pulled away from her to do just that, she didn't go with him. She stood there and stared at James's body, at the blood that was now pooling beneath it. When she did move, Jane had to put the phone down and hold her away from the body: she had started beating it and screaming. He pulled her into the living room, holding her to him tightly and murmuring nonsense that they both knew wasn't true. They were no closer now to talking about her previous life than when she'd first arrived.

The police showed up soon, along with the press. The paramedics followed – Jane had said that Lisbon had been shot at – but found nothing wrong. There would be no charges against her, because it turned out that James had been charged before with abuse, so her story fit. He had been an intruder, too; it was her right to defend her home. Jane hadn't mentioned that James had put a gun to his head. It didn't matter, and if it didn't matter, it was one less thing to worry about, so everyone could leave and be left alone. Their dinner had been forgotten and therefore ruined, but Lisbon wasn't hungry. She curled up on the couch and was silent. When Jane went to bed, she went with him, but she still didn't talk to him. Had the paramedics even checked her for trauma? This was ridiculous!

But instead of shutting him out, she cuddled as close as she could to him, wrapping her ams around him and burying her face in his neck. She was trembling against him and crying softly. "I d-didn't mean to... to kill h-him," she stammered, her words choked. "I just w-wanted him... to leave me a-alone..."

"Shh," Jane said, stroking her hair. "I know. I know."

He had planned on talking about her past tonight, but Jane had the feeling that he would never completely understand what had happened, whether she told him or not. What he really wanted to talk about now was their future together. Red John was still a threat, but he was moving on; he was defying all that he had thought he would do.

And he was perfectly fine with it. He wasn't alone anymore. He had Lisbon and Chris and everyone else who chose to care. They were going to get through life just fine.

One of the most unlikely things – jealousy – had brought them together, and nothing could tear them apart now. They were a family. Jane's family. He wasn't going to lose the one thing he wanted again. He was going to protect them at all costs.

"Will we ever get to spend one day alone?" he asked her.

She sniffled. "I hope we do soon. We're always busy with Chris, or something comes up..."

"I have an idea," Jane purred, kissing her cheek.

Lisbon smiled. "Oh?" she teased, all traces of sorrow gone.

"Mmhmm," he breathed. "Why don't we let Chris stay with Tim an extra day?"

"Don't you think Chris should come home?"

"He's with his friend. He's having fun before he has to go back to school. And I'm sure Tim's mother wouldn't mind."

"Well... I don't know..."

"Let him stay." He kissed her jaw, moving his lips over her skin and making her shiver.

"Patrick, don't try to hypnotize me."

"I'm not trying to hypnotize you." He smiled wickedly. "I'm trying to seduce you."

"Guess what? It's not going to work. But I suppose Chris can stay a little longer."

"Guess what? It just worked." He kissed her once more. "I'll make tomorrow the best day of your life."

"We'll see. I love you." She kissed him, then settled into the bed they shared. He heard her tell him she loved him again before sleep claimed her.

"I love you," Jane murmured, kissing her forehead. He remained awake for awhile after that, holding her and pressing soft kisses into her hair. Red John would never come between them, not if he could help it. His desire for revenge no longer ruled him. As he drifted off, an image of Lisbon, Chris, and himself appeared in his hazy mind. They were happy and whole, without a care in the world. This was his future, no Red John included. This was what was right. He had finally gotten his life back.

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**A/N: This was possibly the most evil beast I have ever created. Only the epilogue is left, and then it shall be slain. Thank goodness! Oy! I don't know how long you'll have to wait this time. I'm tired and my schedule is fuller than full and I have a cold. It's not fun. I hope ya'll are better off than I am! Oh, and the weird word up there in the disclaimer? Whancetabulous-ness, root word Whancetabulous? Marching band joke. :)**

**Another A/N: Has anyone else been having problems getting asterisks to show up in their fics? I'm getting the feeling that FFN doesn't like me much...**

_**A man falls in love through his eyes; a woman, through her ears.**_


	7. Epilogue

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**A/N: Guess what? I'M BAAAAACK! Finally! I thought this would take forever to even start, and it took me two hours after school to write the whole thing. I'm sorry I let this go so long, some people (*ahem*, my math teacher) just don't understand that we have other things to do that we actually care about. Don't get me wrong, school's great; except for the learning part. Anyhoo, this is the final chapter/epilogue. I hope you like it! And even if you don't, I'm happy, 'cause it's DONE! WOOT! BTW, this is dedicated to lizzybeth for being a patient and awesome beta. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: When you someone else's name after "Created By," it still won't be my name.**

**Warnings: Fluff. Yes, Jello fluff. Been awhile, huh?**

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Lisbon awoke to a sudden weight on her abdomen. Still half-asleep, she sighed and murmured, "Patrick, stop it."

Then she heard a soft meow. She opened one eye to see a kitten sitting on her stomach. It was staring at her intently, with blue eyes that looked all too familiar. Its downy orange fur had been brushed carefully, making it shine in the weak morning light. It meowed again, cocking its head to the left.

"Hello," she said. The kitten padded up to her face and sat on her collarbone. It touched its tiny nose to her chin. Holding the kitten, Lisbon sat up carefully. "Where did you come from?"

"Happy anniversary, dear."

Lisbon looked away from the kitten to see Jane standing in the doorway, a smile on his face. "What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Don't tell me you forgot our anniversary," he said in mock disappointment. "It's our five-month anniversary, remember?"

Lisbon smiled. "You're such a romantic," she teased.

He simply smiled again, giving her a tender look. Lisbon took in his apparel – a t-shirt and jeans, which had become his usual attire instead of the three-piece suits – admiring the way his clothes seemed to be made just for him. Most of the time, seeing him like this would spark a hint of desire deep inside her. Today, however, she just wanted to lay in bed and sleep. She hadn't forgotten what had happened yesterday.

She never would. It had left her tired and weak, unable to do anything more than just replay the scene in her mind over and over again: walking into the kitchen, seeing James with a gun to Patrick's head, the rage she had felt when he tried to charm her back into his trap. His body lying on the floor, the arrogance seeping from his cold eyes, mixing with his blood…

"Teresa," Jane said, approaching her quickly, seeing the pain in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

She smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah."

The kitten mewed loudly. _Don't forget about me!_

"Do you like her?" Jane asked eagerly.

"Yes. But why did you get me a kitten?" She laughed as the kitten started patting at a snarl in her mussed hair.

"She reminded me of you."

"Because I'm catty?" she joked.

"Because you're graceful, gentle, motherly, and beautiful."Lisbon blushed. "But you're also cautious, defensive, and you have a painful bite."

"Thanks," she said sarcastically. "Ouch." The kitten had nicked her with one of its sharp claws. "Little nuisance," she said affectionately, scratching it behind the ears. The kitten purred happily.

"What are you going to name her?" Jane asked, crawling into the bed to lie beside her.

She considered the possibilities. Adeline had been her mother's name, but it brought back too many memories of her life with James. Charlotte and Angela weren't good ideas, either. Suddenly, she smirked. "I have the perfect name," she announced.

"So tell me," Jane said, stroking the kitten's head.

"Cat. That's her name."

"You're right," he murmured, kissing her temple. "It's perfect."

"Thank you. Patrick?"

"Yes?"

"You're emptying the litter box."

Jane laughed. "Like I didn't know that was coming."

They were silent for a minute, watching the kitten walk with tiny steps between their bodies. It lay down and promptly fell asleep.

"So…" Lisbon said.

"So what?" Jane asked, his hand skimming over her arm.

"I distinctly recall you saying something about making today the best day of my life." She smiled at him.

Jane chuckled. "You do, do you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"So what would make this the best day of your life?" he inquired.

"I think you probably know, Patrick."

"I have a faint idea, yes."

"'A faint idea?'" How could he not know what she wanted?

"It may not be the same as what you have in mind," he warned.

"Try me."

"Well, since you asked." He hopped off the bed, startling the kitten. "Be right back." He hurried from the bedroom.

"Poor Cat," Lisbon soothed, petting the kitten. "Men, huh?" Cat meowed her agreement and fell asleep once more.

Jane returned shortly. He hadn't changed his clothes or anything, but he looked different somehow. His hands were behind his back, and Lisbon knew he was hiding something. "Patrick, what—"

"Hush. This would be easier if you stood up."

"Can't I just sit?"

"I suppose you could, but then it wouldn't be as traditional as I'd planned."

Lisbon was beyond confused now, but she did as he wished. "What—" she tried again.

"Close your eyes."

"Patrick, you know I hate surprises."

"But you'll like this one. I hope." The last part was muttered.

What in the world was he doing? She hadn't been expecting this, whatever it was. What she had in mind was spending the whole day laying in bed, just the two of them, no Chris (or Cat) to distract them. Lisbon loved Chris, but didn't think he had the patience to wait for Mommy and Daddy to finish what they were doing; he was only five. Almost six, actually.

"Teresa," Jane said, interrupting her thoughts, "we've both made mistakes, some worse than others. I don't want to make another, and I'm sure you feel the same. I am confident that this is a step in the right direction. Red John may not be out of the picture just yet, but I'm willing to take that risk, and do anything to protect you and Chris" –an annoyed mew stopped him—"and Cat, of course. Please accept me for who I am now, not who I was before."

She wasn't confused anymore. She opened her eyes to see what she knew was the most beautiful thing she'd seen in a long time; a ring with a single diamond. It was flawless in its simplicity. The tears were unpreventable. "Patrick," she murmured, looking down at him, balancing on one knee. The hope in his eyes was pure. He would love her like no one else could.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

Lisbon sank to the floor and embraced him, kissing him. She put her mouth to his ear and whispered the word that would change their lives forever.

"Yes."

* * *

**A/N: I apologize that this took so long. Blame my teacher. Don't worry, the ninjas will take care of her soon. :) Reviews are nice, but not necessary.**

**P.S. FFN isn't letting me center things. Grr.**


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